


My Name Tastes Sweet on Your Lips

by Smellerbug



Series: TSAB Continuity [2]
Category: Splatoon
Genre: Agent 8 is a clueless lesbian, Angst, F/F, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Pearl and Marina are sweet moms, The agents are my ocs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-01 16:18:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16287833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smellerbug/pseuds/Smellerbug
Summary: Agent 8, with the help of Marina and Pearl, realizes her feelings for Agent 3 after the other agent asks her on a date to celebrate her reclaiming her name.





	1. Say It Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Embersparkfire93](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Embersparkfire93/gifts).



> This was another fic request. I really enjoyed writing this one, getting to go back to my agents 3 and 8. This one was requested by embersf93 on tumblr, who wanted Pearl and Marina helping 8 with dating 3 and being moms. Also I changed the title and I like it better now

“Cool! I can’t wait! I’ll see you later, Eigh-I mean, uh, Sophia! ” Agent Three’s voice said on the other end, followed by the *click* of the call ending. Eight stood there for a moment, dazed, staring at the screen of her shell phone. Why were her hearts beating so much? She reached her hands up to feel the warmth rise to her cheeks. Sophia. Hearing her name at all still gave her a strange sensation, let alone hearing the other agent say it. 

She dreamily meandered from her room and out to the living room, where Pearl and Marina sat snuggled on the couch, watching TV. Eight had been living with the pair of idols for the last few months after first coming to the surface. They had plenty of room, and had developed a deep fondness for the younger octoling. 

The DJ turned around at the sound of the agent’s footsteps approaching and asked inquisitively, “Who were you talking to?” 

Sophia, still spacing out a little, answered nervously, “Um, just Bee.” 

That got Pearl’s attention as well, turning around to look over the couch at the agent, a sly grin on her face. “Oooooh, ‘just Bee’ my ass! Your face is almost as magenta as your tentacles! Spill!” 

“Pearlie, don’t embarrass her!” Maria scolded her, to which the inkling responded by sticking her tongue out at her partner. 

After a second of hesitation, Sophia said, “She, uh, asked me out on a date, to celebrate recovering my name.”

Pearl looked at her, amused. “A date? Is that all? Pffft you guys have gone on a bunch of dates already!” The agent just stared at her, lost. “Wait, are you really that clueless?” She chuckled. 

“What do you mean?” Sophia asked, completely oblivious. 

“Jeez you’re almost as bad as Marina was when we first started dating! Is it an octoling thing or something?” Pearl snickered, followed by a grunt as Marina solidly nudged her with her elbow. 

“There’s no need to be mean!” Marina huffed. “Can’t you see you’re just confusing the poor girl? She’s been through a lot, and life underground didn’t exactly lend itself to romance, so cut us some slack.” 

“Sorry, sorry,” Pearl conceded. “I’m just saying, she’s 18, she has to have some idea.” She turned to face the agent again, who’s green eyes had been darting back and forth between the duo. “Like what about that time you and Bee went to the mall for the first time?”

Sophia tilted her head and inquired, “What about it?” She thought back to that day. She’d only been on the surface for a week or so, and Bee invited her to the mall to get some new clothes, as she’d been mostly wearing Marina’s hand-me-downs. When they reached the mall, she was overwhelmed by the amount of people and noises and gave into a panic attack, but Bee was there, and she sat with her and held her tight as she softly comforted her until the anxiety passed. 

Afterwards, Bee held her hand the entire time, giving it a reassuring squeeze every time she noticed her getting anxious. The rest of the day was filled with smiles, as she excitedly tried on outfit after outfit, thrilled to be able to express herself. Bee, although not particularly into fashion herself, beamed the whole time and awkwardly told her how pretty she looked with each new ensemble. At the end of the day, the inkling paid for everything, and gave her a warm hug that for some reason she hadn’t wanted to end. 

“Your face was the same color when we came and picked you up as it is now!” Pearl teased. “And everything else you told us about it? That was totally a date!” 

Was it really a date? Was Pearl right and she was really that clueless? “I thought that was just stuff that friends did…” Sophia said, trailing off a bit, lost in her thoughts as she began to realize all the little signs. “Oh my cod,” she muttered, piecing together all of the similarities from the numerous other times they’d hung out since. 

“Oh, honey,” Marina gestured for the agent to sit between them on the couch, who trotted over and graciously slumped onto the sofa. The DJ put an arm around her. 

“I’m an actual idiot,” Sophia whispered. 

“Only a little,” Pearl mused, although there was warmth in her eyes as she placed a hand on Sophia’s. Her comment still caught a glare from her partner. 

“Sssshh you aren’t an idiot. Bee certainly doesn’t think so. This is all just very new to you, and it seems like she has been nothing but kind and patient with you, letting you sort out how you feel, and probably sorting out her own feelings as well.” She paused for a moment before asking, “How do you feel about her?” 

Sophia thought for a second. How did she feel? She knew her hearts fluttered when she caught Bee looking at her sometimes with a sparkle in her eyes, although she would quickly avert her gaze awkwardly. She knew she felt safe when she was with her, especially in her arms. She thought it was cute when the other agent got flustered as she attempted to learn Octarian, and the way she was determined to learn it no matter how many times she messed up. She knew that she hated to see her upset, especially when it came to her scars. She could talk to her for hours on end, about anything, from fun stuff to repressed memories of time underground, and Bee would listen intently each time. 

“I… I think I like her. Like really, really like her.” Saying those words aloud felt like releasing a weight she didn’t even know she’d been carrying. 

“Good!” Pearl exclaimed. “I mean we could have told you that, but it’s great that you realized it finally, that’s a start!” 

Sophia smiled. “And… you think she likes me like that too?” 

“Do you hear yourself?” Marina teased. “You said she literally just asked you on a date.”

“Yeah you’re right, sorry,” Sophia giggled. She looked at the time. It was 7:00 PM, and Bee was supposed to get her in half an hour. “Shit, I need to get ready!” She hesitated before asking both of them, “Um, could you guys help me? I’m kind of nervous…” 

“Of course!” Marina beamed. 

“Fuck yeah we can! You’re in good hands with us!” Pearl added. “Where is the date, anyway?” 

“Some place called Angelfish Cove?” Sophia had never heard of it. 

Pearl’s eyes went wide. “Yooooo that place is fancy as shell! She must really want to impress you! I bet she had Marie or Callie pull some string to get a table there!” 

That only served to make the agent extra nervous. “I’ve never gone anywhere fancy like that…” she said. 

“Don’t worry, hon,” Marina assured her, “You’ll be fine! Now let's get you ready to go!” 

After several minutes of trying on clothes and getting feedback from the idols, they settled on one of her favorites outfits. It was one of that Bee had bought for her at the mall that day. It was a pleated pale pink skirt that she wore with a black blouse that hung below her shoulders, and a belt and heels to finish off the look. Marina helped her with her makeup, and she stood in front of the mirror. She had to admit, she looked good, especially with the undercut on one side that she’d had styled just a few weeks before. 

Marina smiled proudly and was about to say something when they heard a knock on the door. “I got it!!” Pearl shouted, jumping up from her seat and nearly sprinting to the front door. They heard the door open and Pearl say, “Yo, Bee, nice hair! Sophia will be out any second now!” followed by the small rapper yelling back towards them, “Sophia! A certain, very fresh lady is here for you!” 

Marina chuckled and rolled her eyes. A hot blush shot to the agent’s face. She looked to Marina desperately. She’d hung out with Bee plenty of times before with no problems, but this was different. This time she knew what she’d been feeling, and everything had changed. 

Marina placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder and smiled softly. “Hey, you’ll have a great time. And if you need anything, or you have any problems, Pearl and I are just a text away.” 

The agent sighed and together, she and Marina walked to greet the waiting inkling. As they got near the door, they saw Pearl leaning in saying something to Bee, but they couldn’t quite hear what it was. The smaller girl noticed them approach and quickly stood up straight, revealing a somewhat nervous Bee.

“What were you two talking about?” Marina asked, suspiciously. 

“Just making sure Bee here knows to show our girl Sophia a good time!” The MC responded with a nonchalant smile and a shrug. 

Marina wasn’t buying it. Pearl had threatened to “cut a fish” for her before, and figured she was probably saying something along those lines to the poor agent. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter as Bee noticed Sophia in that moment and couldn’t help but to stare. She fumbled over her words. “Sophia!” The octoling’s hearts skipped a beat at the sound of her name again. “You, uh… wow. You look, yeah. I mean, uh, you look beautiful! Like, really pretty. Just, wow.” She winced at her own awkwardness, a vibrant seafoam green blush filling her face. 

Sophia giggled and, her nerves mostly gone, said, “Thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself. I like your haircut.” Bee immediately perked up, suddenly less nervous. She had gotten her tentacles buzzed, now sleekly cropped short on her head. She had a little, simple makeup done, although no amount of makeup could cover the greenish chemical burn across the right side of her face. The agent was wearing a white button up with the sleeves rolled up past her elbows, showing her scarred and toned forearms, tucked into a pair of slim, dressy black jeans. 

“Thanks! I, uh, was kind of over the long hair. Especially the, uh, discolored parts.” 

The younger octoling walked up to the inkling and took her arm, “It suits you.” She smiled. “Are you ready to go?” 

“Uh, yeah! As long as you are!” 

Sophia nodded and turned to Marina and Pearl, who were both grinning. “Be home in a bit, guys. I’ll let you know if I need anything.”

Bee waved at them and smiled as they began to walk away. “Have fun!” Marina called after them. 

“Yeah, and be safe!” Pearl added smugly. 

___

 

The date was practically perfect. The food was nothing like Sophia had eaten in her life. The flavors were indescribable, and everything melted in her mouth. She had to restrain herself from ordering too much. Bee had never been somewhere that fancy, either, and they laughed together as they tried to figure out which cutlery they were expected to use for what food. They ended the meal with a dessert that neither could pronounce the name of, but it was decadent and mouth-watering. Their table was outside and secluded, so Bee didn’t have to worry about people staring at her scar and different colored eyes, and Sophia didn’t have to worry about getting overwhelmed. The night was perfectly cool, and Angelfish Cove was just far enough out of the city, near the beach, that they could see the stars above them while they listened to the waves lap on the distant shore. 

After the meal, they walked on the beach and just talked for hours. Despite her earlier confusion and reservations, the night felt so natural. It was still, in a way, just like every other time the agents had hung out. The only difference was that the previously unspoken or unrecognized feelings were now clearly out in the open. Eventually they both got cold and decided it was time to head back. 

It was almost midnight by the time they walked up to the front door of Pearl and Marina’s apartment. There, they stopped, and stood in silence for a moment, neither of them knowing quite what to say, both worried they’d ruin the ending to an otherwise idyllic night. Finally, Bee broke the silence. “Um, thank you, for coming out tonight. I’m just really happy for you. Knowing your name is a big deal, especially after what you had to go through to get it back. I hope you had a nice time.” 

“I had an amazing time,” Sophia responded sweetly. “Thank you.” 

Another few seconds passed by in tense silence until, “Sophia?” 

There it was again. The octoling’s hearts pounded and her tentacles swayed anxiously. “Yeah, Bee?” 

“Can I… Can I kiss you?” The other girl asked, looking off to the side nervously. 

Sophia reached up and cupped the side of the inkling girl’s face, turning it to face hers. “Only if you say my name again.” 

“I’ll say it as many times as you want, Soph-“ she was cut off as the octoling leaned in and kissed her. Bee, surprised at first, let her eyes flutter shut. A wave of emotion coursed through Sophia’s ink at the touch, her lips tingling where they met the other girl’s. 

They could have held the kiss forever, but were harshly interrupted by a shrill, “Fuck yes!” from inside the house. They pulled apart and glanced in the direction of the window and saw a small pale face with a dark, teal tipped hand over her mouth, disappear in a blur behind the curtains. 

The two girls outside laughed awkwardly, both of them with an intense blush on their faces “Sorry about… them,” Sophia muttered. 

“It’s cool,” the inkling chuckled. “They clearly care about you a lot. I’m sure they’re eager to hear about your night, and I should probably get home anyway. I’ll, uh, call you tomorrow?” 

“Okay, text me when you get home though!” 

“For sure. Goodnight, Sophia.” 

The octoling placed a small kiss on the other agent’s cheek. It was hot against her lips. “Goodnight, Bee.” Bee grinned, and tried to keep her cool as she walked off towards her apartment, leaving Sophia at the doorstep. She reached her claws up to her still tingling lips and sighed dreamily, before opening the door and walking inside. She had a feeling it would be a late night of pajamas and snacks as Pearl and Marina tried to get every detail of the night out of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the date was super cliche and cheesy but I don’t caaaare cuz I’m gay and wanted to write a nice gay date fight me


	2. Not So Sweet Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Although the night had gone by better than she could have ever imagined, Bee has a rough night, plagued by nightmares. Luckily she has a good friend to help her out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liked the first part so I decided I wanted to write a couple more chapters? It was just fun to write about Bee and Sophia some more!

Bee walked into her quaint little apartment and immediately texted Sophia to let her know she’d made it home safe. When she got back to her room, she exhaled, got undressed, and plopped into her bed. She laid there for a long time, unable to sleep. It was already 2 in the morning, and she still couldn’t shake the afterglow of that kiss. The inkling had fantasized about kissing the other agent countless times, but her daydreams could never compare to the real thing. She never could have imagined how soft her lips were, or how their touch, as brief as it was, would fill her with such incredible warmth. At last, her hearts had steadied and her body gave into exhaustion, drifting to sleep with a smile and hoping for dreams as sweet as that kiss. 

___

She was standing on what seemed to be an elevator of some sort, but she didn’t know why she was there or where exactly there even was. She attempted to look around to piece together her surroundings, but her body refused to do what she wanted it to. The right side of her face felt like it was melting. She’d never felt a pain like it in her life. She wanted to scream and tear at her face but she couldn’t. 

Suddenly the vessel that was her body turned its attention to an octoling girl, and for some reason pure aggression and instinct took over. She didn’t know who this girl was, but all she could do was watch from the inside as her body recklessly and violently attacked her. 

The octoling was skilled and did her best to keep up, driven by pure desperation. She struggled, but with an opponent that didn’t seem to respond to pain or exhaustion, there was only so much she could do. 

Although her body was unresponsive, Bee felt everything. Every shot, every bomb. She could only watch and scream, although they never left her mouth. She had the octoling backed into a corner. The girl’s breathing was ragged, and a mixture of sweat and tears fell from her face. 

Her body approached the worn down girl, and held her hero shot to her head. “Why are you doing this!?” Bee cried at herself, getting no response. “Stop! Please!! I don’t want to hurt her!!” Her words, or thoughts, just echoed, empty and futile. 

The girl, about to meet her end, whispered, “Please…” as she looked up, her green eyes terrified. They made eye contact, and some part of Bee finally got through to her body. 

For the first time she was able to say the words she was thinking. “I’m sorry… I can’t stop...” She was fighting her body as hard as she could to keep it from pulling the trigger, and didn’t know how much longer she could hold it. Although still fearful, there was a hint of sympathy in the girl’s eyes, and she shakily reached towards the agent’s face. Bee felt her claws on her cheek, and as she pulled them away she noticed they were damp with tears. Had she been crying this whole time? 

“You need to get away from me...” Bee managed to mutter through clenched teeth. She was close to losing control again. Her body was in agony. Instead of taking her advice, the other girl warily reached her hand towards the weapon that was still aimed directly at her head. She placed her hand on top of it, pushing it down and slowly forcing the agent to lower it. 

“I-It’s okay,” the octoling said, although her voice faltered, clearly still scared. Who was this girl, that even when pushed to her limits and staring death in the face could show such kindness. Bee dropped her weapon to the ground, and she fell to her knees. The pain and exhaustion caught up to her body at last, no longer battling with herself, and all of the screams and cries finally poured out of her as she desperately clawed at the side of her face, tearing away a green, gelatinous substance. 

The other girl recoiled at the frightening display. Bee screamed until her throat burned, still scratching away at her face although none of the ooze remained. The octoling, despite everything, grabbed Bee’s arms to keep her from doing any more harm to herself. The agent struggled against her grip, but didn’t have the strength to fight anymore as she slipped from consciousness. The last thing she saw before the world went black was the concern in the octoling’s soft eyes. 

___

Bee awoke in a cold sweat, her breath frantic and uneven. So much for sweet dreams. She winced in pain that had once again flared up in her scar. It always hurt the worst after that dream. It had been months since she’d had that nightmare, so long in fact that she thought she was finally rid of it. Clearly she was wrong. 

She sighed and looked at her phone. It had barely been an hour since she had fallen asleep, and there was no way she was getting any more rest after that. A drawn out groan escaped her lips as she sat up in her bed. Laying there with just her thoughts wasn’t an option, she needed to do something. Sophia was almost definitely asleep at this point, so Bee texted the only person she knew who had a more screwed up sleep schedule than her. 

Grumbl3Bee > Hey Charlie, you up? 

SunnyD4y > You know I am. Whatsup

Grumbl3Bee > Can’t sleep. Need to clear my head. Wanna meet up?

SunnyD4y > Sure thing! What were you thinking?

Grumbl3Bee > Wanna hit the gym?

SunnyD4y > Dude you’re literally no fun. Who the shell wants to go to the gym at 3 in the morning? Or like ever, honestly

Grumbl3Bee > Hey, I do! It helps me think

SunnyD4y > Whatever you say, man. Anyway the gym is defs closed. The arcade, on the other hand? Shella open! And I could fuck up some Squid Beatz. That’s kind of a work out, right?

Grumbl3Bee > Okay fine, I just have to get out of the house 

SunnyD4y > Shell yeah! I’ll meet you there in like half an hour. I hope you’re ready to lose

Grumbl3Bee > You wish. See you soon

Reluctantly, Bee got out of bed and got dressed as quickly as her groggy limbs would allow. Sweatpants, a sports bra, and a tank top would have to suffice. She splashed some water on her face to shake the sleep from her eyes, grabbed her keys and phone, and left to meet up with the other agent. 

When she got to the arcade, Charlie was already there at the front door waiting. She was wearing a baggy hoodie and leggings. She grinned when she saw her friend approach and held out a hand, in which was a large can. 

“Sup Bee! I got you this, sounded like you needed it” 

Bee took the can and examined it. It was an energy drink called Adrenal-Ink, written in some obnoxious font. It sort of resembled a canned Special. “Thanks.” She cracked it open, refusing to look at the nutritional information, and took a sip. It tasted like sugary motor oil and left a film in her mouth, her face scrunching up in disgust. Despite the taste, it lived up to its name and Bee felt a surge of artificial energy. She gulped down half of it in one go. “Don’t you like live off of this shit?” 

“I’m offended!” Charlie responded. “I only drink these when the fifth cup of coffee doesn’t do the trick.” 

“Do you ever sleep?” Bee often was genuinely concerned for her friend’s health. 

“Can’t sleep when I’m busy practicing my moves so I can finally shut down your winning streak!” the other agent joked, avoiding answering the question seriously. “That’s one of the perks to living above this place. Are we gonna do this or what?” 

Bee sighed. “Okay, okay.” She chugged the last of the chemical rich beverage, and they walked into the arcade and booted up Squid Beatz 2: Deluxe. “You can pick the first song, show me these moves you’ve been working on.” 

Charlie beamed and selected the first of what would end up being many Squid Sisters songs as the two agents worked through almost their entire discography. Bee was honestly having fun, especially considering she had won the vast majority of the songs. It was silly, but it did what she needed it to, successfully distracting her from thoughts of her nightmare. Eventually they were both tired and sweating and they physically couldn’t dance anymore.

“So much for those moves you were talking up,” Bee teased, out of breath.

Charlie laughed, “Hey, it was pretty close there for some of those songs! I’ll beat you one day, you’ll see!” The two inklings left the arcade and stood under the night sky. “That was fun and all, but you haven’t told me what was bugging you tonight.” 

Bee hesitated. She couldn’t distract herself from it forever. “I, uh, went on a date with Sophia. Like a real date. It seemed like as good a time as any to ask her, to celebrate remembering her name.”

“Oh yeah, she texted me about her whole name thing! I’m happy for her! I had been telling her to just pick a new name, like I did, but I’m happy for her still! Did, uh, the date not go well or something?” 

“No, no. It went fine. Better than fine. It was incredible, honestly. We even, um… we kissed.”

“That’s awesome, dude! So what’s the issue?” 

“It’s just… I told you about what happened the first time I met her, right? Underground?” 

“Some of it,” Charlie said. “You guys fought because you were brain controlled by some funky goop or whatever, but she beat you up and knocked you out and it was all okay.” 

Bee took a deep breath. “Sort of… I never talk to anyone about it, not even Sophia, but I have nightmares about it. I won’t go into details right now, but the fight wasn’t quite that simple. I almost killed her, Charlie. I saw pure terror in her eyes.” 

“Shit, man. That’s heavy. Did you have the nightmare tonight?” 

“Yeah… I thought I was done having it, but I guess everything with Sophia brought it all back. I’m just… scared. What if there’s still some of that stuff in me? The closer she and I get, the more it terrifies me that I’m going to lose control and really hurt her, and I’ll just be trapped in my head again, unable to stop myself… Maybe I should just call things now and distance myself from her. I don’t want to see that look in her eyes again...” 

Charlie contemplated her words for a moment. “This is definitely not my area of expertise, but like you said, it’s been months. Marina looked you over, right? She said you were fine, and she’s like a genius so if she said it, it’s probably true. And even if you’re still worried, that is a bullshit plan. You say you don’t want to hurt her, but just cutting things off with her would really fuck her up, don’t you think? Again, not an expert, but I think you should just talk to her about it.” 

Even though Charlie was kind of a mess, Bee had no room to talk, and her friend had surprisingly good advice most of the time. “Yeah… you’re probably right.” 

“Good! Sometimes I’m smart,” Charlie mused, somewhat pleased with herself. “Oh, and one more thing! I know you guys said you shut down the guy, or phone, or whatever that was in charge of all that goop stuff, but just in case, please never let any of that gnarly stuff near me. Based on what you guys have said about it, it sounds like a bad time.” 

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about, but I promise,” Bee chuckled. She sighed and checked the time on her phone. The sun would be up soon, and she was crashing hard from the energy drink. “Could I sleep on your couch tonight? I think I might pass out on my way back to my place.”

“Sure thing, bud.” Charlie smiled. They went up to her apartment. Charlie grabbed some extra pillows and blankets for Bee, and the agent was out cold in a matter of seconds.

When she woke up it was dark out. She slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. How long had she been sleeping? She scrambled for her phone, and panicked upon finding it. It was already 10 PM. That Adrenal-Ink stuff can’t be legal, if it makes you crash this badly. Maybe that's why Charlie liked it, in some weird way it helped her sleep. Although it might be closer to a minor coma. “Shit!” She swore when she noticed several concerned missed texts from Sophia. She darted up from the couch. “Thanks Charlie, I have to go!” She didn’t see the other agent anywhere, and didn’t hear a response indicating she was even home. Bee sprinted out the door and towards Pearl and Marina’s place.


	3. Safe In Your Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agent 8 battles with her anxiety, having not heard anything from 3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I didn't forget about this! I just hadn't felt super inspired to write the past few weeks. Anyway hopefully now I can get onto some really exciting things!

Sophia’s eyes fluttered open, awaken by the sudden sound of the front door slamming shut. The octoling searched for her phone for a second before realizing she was still clutching it tightly in one of her hands. She glanced at the screen. It was 10:00 AM. The door must have been the sound of Pearl and Marina leaving for work. Most days, the agent was up hours ago, but she had stayed up later than usual gushing to the pair about the details of her date before the excitement wore off and she gave into sleep. 

Yawning and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Sophia sat up in her bed and shot a sweet good morning text to the other agent. Most inklings tended to sleep until almost noon, but Bee should be up by now. She liked to go to the gym early before too many people were out and about and she could enjoy a quiet work out. Upon hearing the *swoosh* that signified it sent successfully, she groggily climbed out of bed, got dressed, and walked out into the kitchen. On the counter was a small piece of paper. She walked over to the counter and picked it up, finding it to be a note written in clean, elegant Octarian. Marina’s handiwork. Although Sophia had been on the surface for a few months now and she’d gotten a fairly strong grasp on the inkling language, she was grateful that Pearl and Marina often used Octarian in their home. 

“Sophia, Pearl and I figured we’d let you sleep in. I hope you had plenty of sweet dreams! Pearl made some breakfast, it’s in the fridge if you want any. See you after work! Call if you need anything!” 

This sweet message was followed by a messier, scrawled note from Pearl. 

“Hope you dig the eggs! I suggest a generous squeeze of mayo on top for maximum flavor. Catch ya later!” 

Sophia couldn’t help but smile. She was filled with warmth, some leftover from the date the night before mixed with a deep appreciation for the duo. She didn’t have much of a family underground, but she was happy she had one now. Wandering over to the fridge and opening the door, she found a plate of eggs just as the note promised. Pearl wasn’t an amazing cook by anyone’s standards, but she could certainly make a mean breakfast. The octoling, however, would not be taking the advice about the mayo. She also grabbed one of the two cartons of orange juice, one with pulp and one without. Marina had feigned disgust when she found out that Sophia, like Pearl, preferred the pulp. 

Sitting down at the island with her still warm plate of a lovingly made breakfast and her full glass of pulpy golden goodness, she turned on some music and happily chowed down. In between bites she checked her phone, but Bee still hadn’t returned her message. She sighed, but didn’t let it bother her, figuring that she was still at the gym. The other agent probably had plenty to think about after last night, and she tended to do a good chunk of her thinking by working up a sweat. Sophia enjoyed the last of her meal, content to the last bite. She took her dishes to the sink to be washed later, and proceeded to plop onto the couch and turn the TV on. She had no plans for the day, and for the moment just wanted to enjoy lazing around and catching up on Project Swimway as she waited eagerly for a call from Bee. 

A few hours passed. She had almost gotten through a full season, and still no word from the other girl. The warmth and excitement had subsided, making way for a growing anxiety that not even reality television could distract her from. She had sent a couple more nice messages, but to no avail. This wasn’t like Bee. Normally she’d have called, or at least texted her by now as she did most days. The only thing that made today any different were the events of the previous night. The girl’s anxiety grew and grew as her thoughts got away from her, now totally tuning out the television. She’d thought the night before had been perfect, but she was also very new to all of this. Maybe she’d done something wrong, or she had unknowingly upset the other girl. Was it the kiss? Something she said? 

Her breathing picked up and had become erratic as she felt the all too familiar beginnings of a panic attack. She was so stupid, she didn’t want to have ruined the friendship she had built with the other girl over these past months over one stupid night. She didn’t know what she would do if she lost that connection with Bee. Her friendship was everything for her, and she couldn’t let feelings get in the way of that. The octoling closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing, remembering when Bee had talked her through her panic attacks in the past. She debated calling Pearl or Marina, but she felt guilty taking them away from work to deal with her problems. No, she could do this on her own. She didn’t want to be a burden. She heard Bee’s voice in her head. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Breathe.” 

After a few moments, she’d regained control of her breathing and was able to begin rationalizing her thoughts. She knew she was worrying over nothing. The date had been amazing and she knew that Bee felt the same. There was no denying the look in her eyes after they’d kissed. After several more minutes of sitting and reigning in the thoughts racing through her mind, Sophia decided she’d try to focus on something productive. A splatfest was coming up, and she wanted to surprise Pearl and Marina with some new outfit concepts. She forced herself off the couch, turned off the TV, and went back to her room, taking a seat at her desk. 

Deciding music would help to keep her occupied, she turned on some Off the Hook as she set up her sketchbook. The combination of the music and the sound of pencil sailing over the paper worked in tandem to soothe her remaining nerves for the time being, and she got lost in her work, trying her best not to think about Bee. She was sure she had a good reason for not getting back to her yet. Maybe Cuttlefish had recruited her for a sudden one person mission. Yeah, that was probably it. She worked for hours, fully concentrated, until she heard the sound of the front door opening and a pair of familiar voices. It was just about 6:00 PM now, and Marina and Pearl would just be getting home. She sighed, happy to have some company after today, and scooped up her sketchbook, hurrying out to greet them. 

“Welcome home!” 

“Yo Soph!” Pearl grinned, “I’m surprised you’re still here and not out with Bee!” 

“Oh, uh… Yeah,” Sophia mumbled. “She’s probably just been busy today!” She added, trying to convince herself of it more than anything. In an attempt to quickly divert the topic of conversation, the younger octoling lifted her sketchbook up to show the pair her designs, practically shoving the sketchbook in their faces. “Anyway! I made these for your next splatfest! What do you think?” 

Pearl furrowed her brow and was about to ask more about Bee, concerned by Sophia’s quick change of subject, but Marina stopped her, recognizing that the girl didn’t want to talk about it right now. “These look amazing! Aww Pearlie, you’d look so good in this! Thank you, Sophia! I’ll pass these along to our manager and see if we can make them happen in time for the splatfest.” 

Sophia beamed at that. “I’m glad you like them! Oh, and thank you for breakfast this morning! It was just what I needed.” 

“Anytime, kid! I think I’ve gotten eggs down,” Pearl responded, proud of herself. 

“Maybe you can actually try to learn to cook something else now,” Marina teased, getting a snicker from Sophia. Pearl glared at her partner, who simply stuck her tongue out in response. 

The small inkling turned her attention back to Sophia, smirking. “What’d you do today if you weren’t chillin with your girl?” 

A vibrant magenta blush covered Sophia’s face as she looked down, not making eye contact with either of the other girls. “She’s not ‘my girl,’ she’s just Bee… and I haven’t heard anything from her…” quickly changing the subject yet again, “Anyway I just remembered I didn’t eat lunch and I’m starving! Could we maybe order food and watch a movie or something?” 

Pearl and Marina gave each other a knowing look and didn’t press her anymore about Bee. “Shell yeah we can. It’s my turn to pick the movie though!” Pearl smiled deviously. “You two can figure out what you want to eat, it’s only fair.” 

“As long as you don’t pick some awful over the top action movie again…” Marina sighed, and Sophia chuckled, having a feeling that was exactly what the rapper was going to pick. Lo and behold, the three of them ended up enjoying their dinner, having decided on burritos, while watching Escape From Inkopolis and its sequel. As expected, it was ridiculous, cheesy, and overly violent. At first, Sophia had surprisingly enjoyed them, laughing along with Pearl and Marina at the one-liners and bad special effects. Well into the second one, however, her mind started to wander again to Bee and anxiety started to rise within her. The fighting on the screen only served to cause her to worry more, no longer scared that Bee was ignoring her because of last night, but rather concerned that she was hurt or in trouble. 

While Pearl and Marina were focusing on the movie, or more accurately focusing on each other, Sophia did her best again to calm down. She didn’t want to interrupt their nice night. Bee’s voice comforted her in her head yet again, and she was able to collect herself. However, she still couldn’t shake all of the worry away. Suddenly, she stood up and walked to her room, getting the attention of the other two. Several seconds later, she returned, now wearing a light jacket and boots. Marina looked concerned. “Are you going somewhere?” 

“I’m, uh, going to check on Bee. She said she’d call me, but she hasn’t even responded to any of my texts. It’s not like her. I refuse to believe she’d just ignore me after last night.” There was an anxious but determined look in the octoling’s eyes. 

Marina was conflicted on how to respond. “It’s almost 10, are you sure you’re okay going out in the dark on your own like this?” 

“Mar, it’s okay. She’s an adult, and she took care of herself in the Metro. She’s got nothing to worry about.” Pearl rested her hand on the DJ’s shoulder. Turning back to the younger octoling, she asked, “Plus, you’ve got your phone on you, right?” 

“Yeah of course!” 

“See, she’ll be okay!” Pearl reassured her partner. “A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I know she didn’t wanna talk about it, but we both can tell she’s upset and deserves answers. Either she talks to her or I find her, and that might get ugly,” Pearl joked, but there was a seriousness in her tone. 

Marina sighed. “Okay…” she conceded. “Just please be extra careful and come home soon.” 

Sophia nodded. “I will, I promise.” Taking a deep breath, she walked outside and in the direction of Bee’s apartment. It was only about a fifteen minute walk, and luckily she didn’t encounter any trouble. The streets were practically empty. At last, she stood at the door to the other agent’s abode. 

“Okay,” she muttered to herself, inhaling and reaching her fist up to the door. She hesitated for a second before knocking three times. After waiting several seconds and hearing nothing on the other end, she decided to knock again, this time a little louder. “Bee? It’s Sophia, are you okay? Are you there?” Further silence followed, and Sophia huffed, defeated, and she decided to head back home. 

As she drew near to Pearl’s and Marina’s apartment, she heard faint voices. After coming closer, she could make them out as what sounded like Pearl, Bee and Marina. Her hearts skipped as she turned the corner and saw the agent there. She seemed anxious, hunched over slightly with her hands in her pockets and her head down turned. Sophia could see Pearl in the doorway, with Marina behind her. Their expressions were stern, and she could hear some of what Pearl was saying. 

“... we already told you she’s not here right now. She went out lookin’ for you, worried after you ignored her all day you fuck.”

“I-I didn’t mean to… I had a weird night… I-“ 

“Weird night or not, you can’t just do that to someone like her! She’s figuring a lot of shit out right now and this certainly doesn’t help the poor girl! You’re lucky she likes you or I’d really tell you what I fuckin’ think.” 

“Pearlie,” Marina interrupted, getting her attention and pointing behind the younger inkling at Sophia. Bee turned around and the two of them made eye contact before she looked away, ashamed. “We’ll, uh, let you two talk,” the DJ said, pulling Pearl inside, who glared threateningly at Bee as the door shut. 

An eternity passed in a matter of seconds, the tension in the air palpable as neither girl knew where to start. Finally, Bee broke the silence. “Sophia… I’m really sorry I- I wasn’t ignoring you, I promise… I just- I’m scared.” 

Still confused, Sophia stammered, “I-I was worried you were hurt, or that I’d messed things up and ruined our friendship, or- just… tell me what’s going on. I don’t know how this stuff works…” 

Bee took a long, deep breath. “This is going to sound really stupid, but… I was kind of passed out all day at Charlie’s place. I didn’t wake up til like half an hour ago, and as soon as I realized what time it was and saw all of your texts, I sprinted over here…” 

Sophia raised her brows, more confused by the second. “O...kay? What does Charlie have to do with us or whatever you’re so scared of?” 

“Charlie was just there for me when I needed to figure some shit out. I-I had a nightmare and couldn’t sleep, and I knew Charlie would be up. So we kind of played Squid Beatz until morning and I think she may have unintentionally poisoned me with an energy drink and I know it sounds so fucking stupid but that’s what happened and I-“ 

The inkling was cut off as she felt a hand in hers suddenly, surprising her. She looked up, her eyes meeting the octoling’s soft, green gaze. “It does sound kind of stupid but… I get it. I have nightmares sometimes too, and I assume ours have similar themes.” 

Bee found reassurance in the touch and continued. “I’m sorry I never talked to you about it, or bothered to ask how you felt about everything. Back when we first made it to the surface together, I would have the nightmare almost every night. I would relive that fucking fight over and over again, forced to experience my complete lack of control as I threw myself at you.” She stopped herself, her voice beginning to falter. “I-I would have killed you, if you hadn’t stopped me. And the fucking look in your eyes, I never want to see you look at me like that again…”

“I had those same nightmares, except it wasn’t you in them.” Sophia hesitated for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “Well, at first it was, but as I got to know you, the figure in the nightmares became less scary. She may have had your face, but she didn’t have your eyes. I recognized that back then too, as you held your hero shot to my head. I could see in those eyes that you were more scared than even I was in the moment. I never blamed you for what you did.” 

“It was me though! It was still my body, my training being put to the test, and I couldn’t do anything! I almost killed the best thing that’s ever happened to me without even knowing it!” Tears began to well up in Bee’s eyes. “After last night and how quickly everything is happening, it all came rushing back. The more time we spend together, the closer we get, the more I worry that there’s still something inside of me and I could lose control and hurt you again! I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you, I-“ 

Sophia put a claw up to the inkling’s lips gently, stopping her, before bringing the hand to her cheek. Bee leaned her face into the touch. “That won’t happen. And if it does, I don’t care. I stopped it then, I’ll stop it again. I know you’d never hurt me. I’d rather be there when it happens, knowing I can save you, then have you fight it on your own and risk someone else getting hurt.” She wrapped her arms around the other girl, pulling her in for a warm hug. Bee in turn hugged her as tightly as she could. 

Pulling back slightly and looking up at the octoling, Bee started to speak, “Sophia, I-“ but was interrupted yet again, this time by Sophia’s soft lips on hers. All of her fears melted away, and all she could focus on was the kiss. It was everything their kiss the night before might have been had they not been interrupted, but with even more emotion behind it. 

After several seconds, Sophia pulled away. “As long as we have each other, everything will be okay. You don’t need to be scared.” They were both in deep already. After just two kisses, Sophia was addicted to the taste of Bee’s lips, the sound of her voice saying her name. They both had their demons, but they’d work through them together. They just held each other a while longer, until Sophia whispered, “I know you just slept all day, but after all of this I’m tired. You could, um, sleep in my bed tonight? If you want to… I’ll do my best to hold you and keep the nightmare away…” 

Bee’s face flushed. “Oh! Um, as long as that’s okay with you… and, uh, as long as Pearl doesn’t try to like murder me in my sleep,” she chuckled nervously. 

“Don’t mind her,” Sophia giggled, “she’s just a little protective. So... that’s a yes?” 

“Um, yeah… I think I’d like that.” Both girls smiled warmly as they walked into the apartment, and after some confused and wary looks from Pearl and Marina, went off to bed to just hold each other as they slept. No nightmares plagued their subconscious minds, nor so much as even the sweetest dreams, for there was nothing sweeter than laying there in each other’s arms.


End file.
